John and Marilyn Sanner Collection, 1946-1982

Extent of collection 2 reels of Super 8mm sound film totaling 370 feet; 93 reels of Super 8mm film totaling approximately 19,320 feet; 39 reels of 16mm film totaling approximately 4,585 feet; 21 reels of 8mm film totaling approximately 5,205 feet; 1 file folder containing two note cards found in original cans.

Inclusive Dates 1946 - 1982

Bulk Dates 1950 - 1982

Abstract The John and Marilyn Sanner collection contains 16mm, 8mm and Super 8mm amateur and home movie films. John and Marilyn Sanner were members of the Metro Movie Club, a local amateur filmmaking club (1940s-1980s), during the later years of the organization (1972-1987). John Sanner of Deerfield, Illinois shot the majority of the films in this collection. He shot both amateur films and home movies, including footage of Deerfield High School football games, the Chicago snow blizzard of 1979, a behind-the-scenes look at a Metro Movie Club production and a short documentary about the arrival of a Vietnamese family to Deerfield by way of a refuge camp in Hong Kong. The collection also includes films made by John's brother Richard Sanner, who taught at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis and established the audiovisual department at the University of Hawaii in 1957. Richard's films include home movies from the Sanner home in Iowa, as well as footage depicting the eruption of Kilauea volcano in 1960.

Creators

Sanner, John (created by)John Harper Sanner, son of Lee and Helen Sanner, was born in Anamosa, Iowa in April, 1931. He graduated from the University of Iowa in the spring of 1954 with a B.Sc. in Pharmacy. He completed his apprenticeship in Rock Island, Illinois, and became an Iowa registered pharmacist in July, 1955. He spent the next two years as a medical service officer in the U.S. Air Force. He then moved to Waverly, Iowa, where he practiced pharmacy. On December 28, 1958, John and Marilyn Eichorst married in Waverly, Iowa, where John worked as a pharmacist and Marilyn worked at the Lutheran Children's home. Immediately after their wedding John enrolled in graduate school at the University of Iowa and earned a PhD degree in pharmacology. In 1963, they moved to Deerfield, Illinois, where they raised two children. John conducted pharmacology research in the Department of Biological Research at G.D. Searle and Company in Skokie, IL, from 1963-1986, publishing 20 scientific papers and book chapters as well as participating in 11 scientific presentations.

John became interested in movie photography during a Colorado trip at the time he was employed at Searle. As he stood at the base of Pike's Peak, he imagined how much more interesting it would be to make a moving story about driving to the summit, rather than collecting a series of still photos, so upon his return, he purchased his first Super-8 film camera and started shooting amateur documentaries, family movies, and travel films. He joined the Metro Movie Club in Chicago, where he won 19 awards through the years, and served a term as president of the club. He also participated with the Central Cinematographers Club in Chicago.

Upon his retirement from Searle in 1986, John started a one-man video business that he called Sanner Video Services and kept busy until 2016 producing industrial and personal videos.

Sanner, Richard L. (created by)Richard Lee Sanner, son of Lee and Helen Sanner, was born in Anamosa, Iowa on June 2, 1922. He attended Iowa State College (University) (1940-1943) and in the spring of 1943, Dr. Sanner was drafted into the United States Army. He served as a combat medic (1944-1945) with the 44th Infantry Division on the front lines in France, Germay, and Austria. Dr. Sanner was discharged from the army on November 11, 1945.

He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Economics (1949) from Iowa State College (University), a Master's degree from the University of Iowa in Audiovisual Education (1953), and a Ph.D. in Education (1971) specializing in Media and Technology from Arizona State University.

Dr. Sanner taught at the University of Minnesota and University of Nevada, Reno. He established the audiovisual program at the University of Hawaii (1957). He later worked at San Diego State University as a Media Specialist until his retirement in 1980 when he was awarded Emeritus status.

Dr. Sanner belonged to several professional organizations and honor societies, including Phi Delta Kappa, the National Education Association, the California Teachers Association, the Association of Educational Communications and Technology, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the American Legion.

Richard Sanner married Martha Hiscock of Iowa City, Iowa in 1953. He died February 27, 2000.

Custodial HistoryThe films in this collection were created and gathered by John and Marilyn Sanner. The John Sanner materials were previously stored in their Deerfield, Illinois home. Upon donation in 2004, John and Marilyn Sanner were unaware that 2 reels made by other Amateur filmmakers were included in their collection. The complete custodial history of these 2 reels are unknown. In 2016, John Sanner donated a second lot of films, including more from his Deerfield, Illinois home and a collection of films that had previously been stored by John's late brother Richard Sanner.

Access Restrictions This collection is open to on-site access. Appointments must be made with Chicago Film Archives. Due to the fragile nature of the films, only video copies will be provided for on-site viewing.

Use Restrictions Chicago Film Archives holds the copyright for the films in this collection.

Related Materials Complete amateur works and home movies from the early days of the Metro Movie Club reside in the Margaret Conneely Collection at Chicago Film Archives. Other Amateur Film Club films can also be found in the Ron Doerring Collection and J. Gerald Hooper Collection at Chicago Film Archives.